Development of C(60) plasma ion source for time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry applications.

Initial data from a multicusp ion source developed for buckminsterfullerene (C(60)) cluster ion production are reported in this article. A C(60)(+) beam current of 425 nA and a C(60)(-) beam current of 200 nA are obtainable in continuous mode. Compared to prior work using electron impact ionization, the multicusp ion source provides at least two orders of magnitude increase in the extractable C(60)(+) beam current. Mass spectra for both positive and negative bismuth cluster ions generated by the multicusp ion source are also included.